Noel Yheaulon

I was raised in South Eastern Pennsylvania amid the pastoral charm of the Amish countryside. From a young age, I have been inveigled by the magic of illustration and its ability to convey emotions—worlds even—through visual imagery. Drawing, painting and sculpting in a representational way was compulsory from the very beginning. However, while all the work I’ve undertaken entailed a level of visual technical ability, I primarily disowned my identity as an artist until I had my daughter in 2016. Hitherto, I was disconnected to the world of popular contemporary art which marked me as primarily clever and provocative but lacking in personal connection and emotional depth. Personally, it was not until I underwent the profoundly vulnerable experience of becoming a mother that I found the ability to dedicate myself to crafting an image that I deeply resonated with. During this period, I discovered the contemporary realist movement which married the technique of the old masters and the expressive emotional quality of modernism. This confluence unveils a realm beyond, embodying the Latin motto Plus Ultra—something more, something further, transcending the limitations perceivable only through the mechanics of vision.

My current work explores the theme of fate through the lens of motherhood: what awaits my daughter’s future; hence, what awaits me. The question of agency and power is at the fore. I believe that my curiosity in the topic signals the potential for a destiny self-crafted.